Thomas m



(No Model.)

T. M. HEALEY.

I SYRINGE. No. 881,622. Patented Apr. 24, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT Eric.

SYRINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,622, dated April24, 1888.

Application filed January 30, 1883. Serial No. 262,456. (No model.)

To 0025 whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, THOMAS :M:. I-IEALEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Gumberland, in the county of Allegheny and State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VaginalIrrigators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of surgicalinstruments known as vaginal irrigators or donches.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan, and Fig. 2 a sectionthrough a givencenter line, a b, of one form of irrigator.

The same letters represent like parts in the plan and section.

. The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby fluids can beintroduced into, retained in, and withdrawn from the vagina without thesame coming in contact with and wetting the person externally.

The nature of myinvention consists in making or shaping the exterior ofa hollow cylinder, or preferablya truncated hollow cone, B, by providingit with ridges or corrugations c c c" c, which will, when thrust withinthe opening of the vagina, be grasped by the sphincter muscle of thatcanal, thus making a water-tight joint without causing any undue orpainful distention of this sensitive organ. The vagina is larger or moreeasily distendedjust within the sphincter muscle and gives place to theelevation c of the cone. When it is forced through the sphincter muscle,the muscle immediately closes down into the depression and offers nearlyas much'resistance to the escape of the instrument as it does to itsentrance, and this renders the in strument nearly, if not quite,selfretaining.

The truncated hollow cone Bis the preferable shape of this instrument,as the several corrugations on its increasing diameter from the smallerend enables one instrument to fit a number of differentsized vaginas andto make a much tighter joint when it is desirable to apply pressure todistend this canal. N ow, by providing this hollow cone B with adiaphragm (the drawings show the diaphragm as the top of the cone)pierced with two holes, H H, in which are inserted two tubes, one for aninlet-tube, which should extend to the edge of the opening 0, and theother an outlettube, which may just enter the hollow of the cone, andthere connecting the inlet-tube with a reservoir above the level of thebody, a syringe, or other means of supply, fluids can be made to filland distend the vagina (especially if the party lies on her side) andthen escape through the outlet-tube into any suitable receptacle at alower level than the body, or at a lower level or under less pressurethan'that of the inlet-tube. By differentiating the levels of these twotubes any desired pressure can be put on and maintained in the vaginafor any desired length of time.

The irrigator can be made of glass, wood, metal, hard and soft rubber,celluloid, or any suitable material, and the diaphragm can be madeseparate or in one piece with the cone, as'showu in the drawings.

As the opening 0 is much larger than the inlet-tube, the currententering the vagina will pierce the slower outgoing current through thelarger aperture and eddy around the sides of the canal and thoroughlywash, cleanse, and apply to its walls any fluid used. Where the impactof a jet is needed or desired the diaphragm can be dispensed with and anozzle of proper shape carrying fluid under pressure can be used and thefluid allowed to escape through the tube at once into any receptacleplaced for the purpose.

I am aware that cylinders and cones open and diaphragmed have been usedfor vaginal irrigation provided with the same means of irrigation asherein described, and I do not claim this as my invention; but

What I do claim is- A hollow truncated cone, B, of hard rubber orsimilar material, provided on its conical outer surface with a series ofcorrugations, and further provided with outlet and inlet tubes, arrangedas shown and described, to convey fluids to and from said cone, as andfor the purpose specified.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS M. HEALEY.

Witnesses:

R. W. McMIcHAEL, THEO. LUMAN.

